There’s been a lot of talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ poor defensive play this season. Games 1 and 2 against Boston certainly didn’t inspire much confidence in that regard, and even in a Game 3 win the Leafs gave up over 40 shots on goal. As dynamic as they are up front, there are legitimate concerns on the blueline.

If you’re a Leafs fan looking for a source of optimism, I have two words for you: Travis Dermott.

I still can’t get over how incredible he’s been since getting called up in January. The Leafs have absolutely crushed the opposition when Dermott’s on the ice, and get outshot and outchanced when he’s off the ice.

Now, he is getting sheltered usage, so it’s important to take those inflated numbers with a grain of salt. At the same time, a player’s Quality of Teammates has a much bigger impact on their results than Quality of Competition. Dermott hasn’t exactly been playing with world beaters in...